Michigan launches Operation Ghost Rider

Michigan police started Operation Ghost Rider on Saturday, April 25, using officers in unmarked vehicles to spot distracted drivers across the state. (ntso.us) (fox2detroit.com) The operation is led by the National Transportation Safety Organization with funding from the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning. Participating agencies include Michigan State Police and sheriff’s offices in Oakland and Macomb counties, along with local departments including Troy, Sterling Heights and Utica. (ntso.us) The tactic is simple: an officer in an unmarked vehicle watches for a driver holding or using a phone, then radios a marked patrol unit to make the stop. Operation Ghost Rider began in 2017 and has returned each year. (ntso.us) (bridgemi.com) Michigan’s hands-free law took effect June 30, 2023, and makes holding or using a mobile electronic device while operating a motor vehicle a primary offense. The law covers calling, texting, watching or recording video, and using social media while driving. (michigan.gov) (legislature.mi.gov) That ban applies even when a driver is stopped at a red light or in traffic. The main exceptions include emergency calls, some navigation use that does not require hand entry, and public-safety workers acting in their official duties. (fox2detroit.com) (legislature.mi.gov) The penalties are lower than the $200 figure that has circulated online. A first violation carries a $100 ticket and-or 16 hours of community service, while a second violation carries a $250 ticket and-or 24 hours of community service. (michigan.gov) Michigan officials say the campaign comes as handheld device use has ticked up, not down. A Michigan State University observational study found mobile device use by drivers rose from 5.2% in 2024 to 5.7% in 2025. (michigan.gov) (ntso.us) Crash totals tied to distracted driving fell from 15,136 in 2023 to 14,439 in 2024, but fatalities rose from 59 to 65. The state says nearly 300 people died in distraction-involved crashes in Michigan from 2020 through 2024. (michigan.gov) (ntso.us) Michigan State Police Director Col. James F. Grady II said drivers should “put their phones down while driving.” For motorists, the message from Ghost Rider is narrower and more immediate: if the phone is in your hand, the stop can come from a cruiser you never noticed. (ntso.us)